9.18.2018

'Avatar: The Last Airbender' live-action series in the works

Original show creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will helm the adaptation at Netflix.

This is happening. This is happening. Netflix is working on a live-action series based on the beloved Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, with the show's original creators involved.

Netflix's See What Next Twitter account announced that a "reimagined" live-action Avatar was in the works. The tweet included some pretty sweet concept art from the reboot, featuring Appa the sky bison.

The company also confirmed that Avatar's original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will serve as executive producers and showrunners. And fans cried big soppy wet tears of jubilation.

A reimagined, live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series is coming to Netflix!

AND I can confirm that the original creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, will be back to take on the live action. THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR ALL THESE YEARS. https://t.co/Pi5M1TDTZc

The original Avatar: The Last Airbender aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon, from 2005 to 2008, garnering a massive fan following and widespread acclaim. The Asian-inspired fantasy adventure series followed 12-year-old Aang and his friends, who must journey and fight to save the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai and ending the destructive war with the ruthless Fire Nation.

A story like this deserves the epic arc of a series. Perhaps best of all, they're seeking to undo the casting mistakes of the, ahem, previous live-action attempt to adapt The Last Airbender, and prioritizing a "culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast."

"We're thrilled for the opportunity to helm this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender," DiMartino and Konietzko said in a statement. "We can't wait to realize Aang's world as cinematically as we always imagined it to be, and with a culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed cast.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build upon everyone's great work on the original animated series and go even deeper into the characters, story, action, and world-building. Netflix is wholly dedicated to manifesting our vision for this retelling, and we're incredibly grateful to be partnering with them."

The new series will be made in partnership with Nickelodeon, with production to start next year.

Call it a do-over, of sorts. And now, we can all definitively forget that M. Night Shyamalan's totally terrible 2010 movie adaptation ever happened. Let us never speak of it again.